With close to 20 years of service to the public sector, financial management professional Joseph F. Wolfe has been instrumental in shaping the financial futures of communities in and around the state of Washington.

As a Thurston County resident, Joe Wolfe currently serves as the Grant Manager for the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, where he provides his considerable talents in overseeing grant-related programs and services.

When he is not managing complex financial needs at the government level, Joe can be found exploring the world as an avid mountaineer.

Education and Credentials

Joe Wolfe has an impressive educational background, and he has had the opportunity to continue his education through certification programs throughout his career. Joe is a graduate of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Industrial Supervision and Management in 1999.

His focus was on process improvement, a valuable skill set that would influence the direction of his entire professional career.

For several years after receiving his undergraduate degree, Mr. Wolfe worked with the Washington State Department of Ecology as a budget analyst. In 2007, he sought to continue his professional education and gained acceptance to the Masters in Business Administration program at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. In 2009, he was presented with an MBA in Finance and Financial Management Services.

Wolfe has a passion for continuing education, believing that one can always improve his or her knowledge of career-related topics. He embarked on a series of professional certification programs, including:

- Green Belt Certification in Lean Six Sigma, an internationally-recognized process improvement model
- Certified Government Financial Manager
- Certified Federal Grants Manager
- Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response Operations

Career Highlights

Washington resident Joe Wolfe has worked in numerous roles in local and state governments. He has also gained career experience with environmental protection partnerships. For 18 years, Joe has been tasked with analyzing and managing government budgets and coordinating with diverse stakeholders at the local, state, and Federal levels. He is singularly talented in the ability to forge close working relationships with others, and this talent has served him well throughout his career.

He is also dedicated to serving the communities in which he lives and works, helping them to achieve stable financial goals.

In 2017, Joe Wolfe was selected to become the Finance Director for the City of Yelm, Washington. In this role, he was responsible for a range of official duties, including planning, organizing, and managing the city’s annual budget. He was able to implement a series of cost-saving solutions using his experience and mastery of process improvement. Because of his hard work and dedication, the City of Yelm was recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association in 2017 and 2018 when the Association presented the City with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

Today, Joe Wolfe is the Grant Manager for Thurston County, working out of the County Auditor’s Office. His rich education and career backgrounds allow him to provide technical and administrative assistance throughout county government as he manages grant-related programs. One of his most recent accomplishments was developing a coronavirus funding relief program for economically-challenged communities in Thurston County. He stands as a financial leader and visionary who puts the needs of the community first.

Specialties include financial management, accounting principles, continuous process improvement, and strategic planning. I have strongly demonstrated the ability to communicate complex financial issues.

In summary, my years of building and managing local, state, and federal budgets have given me a comprehensive understanding of financial management.